Inter Miami Routs New England, as Messi Makes History

Inter Miami’s win over the New York Red Bulls on Saturday night was historic as Lionel Messi accomplished something that had never been done before in Major League Soccer.

In a brilliant second half performance, Messi orchestrated Inter Miami’s 6-2 victory with five assists, setting a new MLS single-game record. Messi established another league record for assists in a half. Teaming up with his former FC Barcelona teammate Luis Suárez, Messi facilitated all three of Suárez’s goals, as the Uruguayan netted a memorable hat-trick.

But Messi wasn’t content with just providing assists; he also found the back of the net himself in the 50th minute, courtesy of an assist from Suárez. This goal marked Messi’s sixth contribution of the game, setting another MLS record for the most goal contributions in a single match.

Despite conceding an early goal, Inter Miami responded, scoring six unanswered goals in a staggering 33-minute blitz during the second half. While the Red Bulls managed to salvage a consolation goal in stoppage time, the result was undeniably a resounding victory for Miami.

With this performance, Messi’s tally for the season now stands at 10 goals and 12 assists in just eight appearances, making him the first Inter Miami player to achieve double-digit totals in both categories during a single season. Furthermore, Messi’s remarkable consistency throughout the 2024 season has seen him break numerous MLS records, including becoming the first player in league history to record five consecutive games with multiple goal contributions.

Heading into their next match, Inter Miami remains at the top of the Eastern Conference, with Messi and Suárez leading the charge with 10 goals each. As they prepare to face CF Montreal, the duo’s dynamic partnership continues to gel with the Inter Miami squad, making the them the team to beat in the MLS, a 180-degree turnaround from a year ago when Inter Miami was the laughing stock of the MLS.

With the additions of Messi, Suarez, Busquets and the growth of young players like Benjamin Cremaschi, Inter Miami looks unstoppable. The scary part it that this team is continuing to get better and is he prohibitive favorite to win the MLS Cup.

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